Utho Trouble
by sweets2
Summary: Richie and Mac run into some bad company. Can the Highlander keep Richie and Tessa safe? Takes place between seasons 1 and 2. Please R


Disclaimer: All characters belong to Rysher and are only being borrowed for non-profit purposes. Only the plot is mine.  
  
Timeline :Season one no specific episodes.  
  
A/N : Hello and welcome to my first Highlander fanfiction. Please send feedback good, bad or indifferent. I just love Richie and was very crushed when they killed him off. I was also shocked when they killed off Duncan's love Tessa. She brought a gentle balance to the trio.  
  
Enjoy!!  
  
Feet pounding the snow and ice slicked ground, a person in his late teens ran. He dodged people in the street occasionally slipping on snow covered ice. Every time he hit the ground he scrambled back to his feet. Aware that behind him a battle was going on. Normally Richie Ryan would never run away from an immortal clash. This time however, when Duncan MacLeod or as he referred to him Mac ordered him to run. Something in his voice made Richie's feet move as fast as they could the other way. He really had no idea where he was running to. He only knew that he could not go back, so he continued on his way. He was about to start rounding back to the shop when something hit him in the head hard and he fell.  
Duncan MacLeod entered the apartment above the shop. His shirt bloody and torn, hair matted with sweat; he looked a mess. Tessa went immediately to his side.  
"Are you alright?" She asked softly.  
"I'll live. The other won't however." He answered tiredly. "Where's Richie?" He asked after a moment. The apartment was way to quiet for comfort since Richie had moved in with them.  
"He was with you wasn't he?" Tessa asked.  
"You mean he's not here." Duncan said as more of a statement then a question at a confirming nod from Tessa he sighed. He didn't know where the wayward youth had gotten to. He only hoped he wasn't in any trouble. "I'm sure he'll be along any time now." he assured her after a few moments of quiet. "Maybe he's just hiding out for a a bit to make sure he wasn't followed."  
"Followed? Followed by who?" Tessa asked concern growing as each minute passed.  
" By Rickter and his....cronies."Duncan answered as he sat down on the armchair. "If Richie doesn't show in a few more minutes I'll start looking for him."  
  
Richie at the moment was starting to wake up from his enforced nap. He sat up slowly and looked around. He knew where he was. He was in the alley by the edge of the park. A good twenty minute walk from the shop.  
"Oh, just great." He mumbled to himself as he wobbly stood up. "This day just couldn't get much better could it?"  
"Why don't you tell me?" A voice said from the shadows. It was a breathy, menacing voice that made the hair on the back of Richie's neck stand up.  
"Why should I tell you anything?" Richie asked back. He was stopped from talking when a fist came up to meet with his face.  
"Let's try that again. I already know who you are Richie" The voice said the name dripping with distain and sarcasim. "Tell me what you were doing with MacLeod and maybe you'll live to see tomorrow."  
"I'm not gonna tell you anything." Richie said hotly. He didn't like being pushed around. Even though he was scared right now he was not going to give his opponent the satisfaction of knowing that.  
"Oh, I think you will. Because if you don't I'll put this right through your neck. You'll die just as our boss did." Richie gulped. He couldn't see much of the guy. Only that he was big and had a lot of power behind his fists. He knew what he had to do and only hoped he was strong and quick enough to do it.  
"You know what...I think you're nuts." With that he headbutted the guy with all his might in the groin. He tried to stand and started to wobbly make his way toward the street. Once he was there he found the first crowded place he could get inside of. It was a restaurant that Tessa liked. The owner of the restaurant recognized the young man who was hobbling inside.  
"Richie right?" Asked the portly man. He was short with thinning hair and a very round face. Richie nodded.  
"Can I please use your phone? I need to call home." Richie asked almost breathless. The owner took a better look at the boy and pushed the phone to him. Richie gave a small smile of thanks in reply. The line rang and no one answered he was about to hang up thinking something had happened when Tessa's voice filled the line.  
"Tess...I'm in trouble, is Mac...." his was stopped in mid sentence as two things happened at once. Tessa said that Mac had gone out looking for Richie as a big man with a menacing look came into the restaurant. Richie's eyes widened as he saw the man coming toward him. Richie quickly told Tessa where he was then the line went dead.  
"Richie...Richie are you there?" Tessa screamed into the phone when she heard the line disconnect. She hung up and no sooner the phone rang again. "Richie?" She asked  
"Tessa it's me. You've heard from him?" The immortal asked. Tessa quickly filled him in on what had happened. Mac ran back to the car and quickly turned the car around. By the time he got to the restaurant police surrounded the place. Mac tried to run in but was stopped by a barricade. He did see the restaurant owner. "Russell." He said trying to get the man's attention.  
"Mr. MacLeod I saw your boy Richie. He didn't look like he was in good shape. Then a gorilla type of man came in and grabbed him clear off his feet." Russell said in one nervous breath. Mac didn't wait for anything else except  
"Which way did he go?" Russell pointed to the way Richie had been dragged and the Highlander took off. It took only minutes for Duncan to pick up the trail of his missing friend. The pre-immortal buzz was present and he thanked the heavens that he wasn't too late. Not even thirty seconds later he heard a scream that made him almost run in the direction of the sound.  
"Hang in there Richie I'm coming." He breathed. He didn't sense any immortals but he still proceeded with caution. His katana still drawn and ready to strike if necessary.  
"Now tell us." He heard a voice say loudly "Or else." was added as a sound of flesh hitting flesh was heard. Mac looked through the bushes and saw Richie on the ground. His arms and legs tied down. Two big men were now standing over him and each kicking or hitting him whenever they felt like it. "Where is MacLeod?" the same voice said this time Duncan could see which it was then saw as the teen was kicked in the ribs.  
"Looking for me?" Mac said coming out of the bushes. The two men turned to see the new comer. The one that had kicked Richie ran straight for the highlander. Mac for his part tucked his sword inwardly and used his shoulder to knock the man off balance. The second one had lifted Richie up roughly by the hair and put a blade to Richie's throat.  
"That's enough MacLeod or the kid gets his." He pushed the blade into Richie's throat just enough to cause a drop of blood to appear. Mac stopped in his tracks. If Richie got beheaded now he would never have the chance to become immortal. His quickening would go to him. He had no desire to feel that quickening ever. "Put it down." The man ordered nodding to the katana.  
"Alright just don't hurt him." Mac said lowering his blade. He never took his eyes off the man. The man made his mistake by looking away over toward his fallen buddy. Richie saw this as his opportunity and jumped on the man's foot with his bound feet. The man became startled and let go but not before cutting Richie deeply in the shoulder. Since he had no balance Richie fell hard to the ground. Mac during this time had picked up his katana and held it over the man. "Leave now!" Mac said through ground teeth "Never go after Richie or myself again if you want to live." he added as the man started to back away toward the other. Mac watched as both men fled the area.  
"Mac." Richie said relieved.  
"Richie, how badly are ye hurt?" the highlander asked as he used his katana to undo the binds on his friend.  
"Not sure. Shoulder hurts." Richie said as he felt the darkness grabbing at his vision.  
"Stay with me tough guy." Mac said sitting him up. Richie hissed in pain as his injured ribs protested.  
"Let's get you to the hospital." Mac said leaving no room for question. He knew that the lad had been hurt and was not about to let Richie try to argue the point. Unfortunately, however Richie had collapsed onto the highlander before an argument could even start to take place. 


End file.
